ClutchPoints
Here’s a funny thing about loyalty. When it meets reality, even cornerstones become movable. Maxx Crosby has been everything the Las Vegas Raiders could ask for in a franchise cornerstone. He has been relentless, productive, accountable, and unapologetically loyal. He embodies toughness in an organization that has desperately needed stability.
The NFL is ruthless, though, and timelines matter. If the Raiders truly commit to a full teardown after yet another lost season, even a player as revered as Crosby could become their most valuable trade chip. Moving him would signal a hard reset. It would surely be painful and controversial. However, it would also be potentially transformative.
The Raiders’ 2025 NFL season was a historic failure that ended with a league-worst 3-14 record. It did earn them the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, though. First-year head coach Pete Carroll was fired immediately after the season. It closed the book on a short-lived and chaotic experiment. The offense finished last in the league in points scored per game. meanwhile, Geno Smith’s league-high 17 interceptions repeatedly put the defense in impossible positions.
The result was an extension of the franchise’s playoff victory drought to 23 seasons. It was also a fourth straight losing year. Despite promising flashes from Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, the roster was fundamentally broken. With a new regime coming in and a rebuild looming, Las Vegas now faces a defining question. Should they rebuild patiently around veterans like Crosby, or accelerate the reset by cashing in their most valuable asset?
Since being selected in the fourth round in 2019, Maxx Crosby has become the heart and soul of the Raiders. His rise from overlooked prospect to perennial Pro Bowler is one of the franchise’s few modern success stories. Crosby’s non-stop motor, violent hands, and relentless pursuit have made him one of the NFL’s most feared edge defenders. He has consistently stacked sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles.
More importantly, Crosby has been a leader through chaos. He signed a major extension, embraced the grind of losing seasons, and never ducked accountability. Yes, the Raiders around him cycled through coaches, quarterbacks, and philosophies. That said, Crosby remained elite. If Las Vegas does move him, it won’t be because he failed the franchise but because the franchise finally admitted it failed him.
Here we’ll try to look at and discuss 4 best Maxx Crosby trade destinations if Raiders opt to move on from star DE.
This happens only if desperation meets opportunity. Dallas makes sense immediately. The Cowboys finished 2025 thin off the edge after trading Micah Parsons in August. They reportedly checked in on Crosby during the season. With extra draft capital from the Parsons deal, Dallas has both the ammunition and urgency to strike.
Pairing Crosby with an already talented defensive front would instantly give the Cowboys a tone-setter they’ve lacked since Parsons’ departure. Jerry Jones has never shied away...
